Products

Pharmaceuticals and Product Stewardship

NWPSC Activities

See the 2008 NWPSC Pharmaceutical Subcommittee Issue paper (PDF file, 67KB) to learn more about subcommittee activities and next steps.

NEW Medicine Disposal Flyer A new flyer (PDF file, 218KB) is available that tells people how to dispose of unwanted household medicines safely. The safest for the environment and the community is to use a medicine return take back. In Washington state, we have 37 pharmacies that take back medicines.

To find a take back location near you, go to www.medicinereturn.com . If a take back is not near you, and until a sustainable statewide program is available, follow the instructions for disposal to the trash. Never flush your drugs down the drain.

2008 Medicine Take-back Workshop in Seattle, Washington In April 2008, a consortium of key health, government, environmental and citizen groups concerned with the impacts of improper residential drug disposal organized a one-day workshop address the residential drug disposal dilemma and determine the next action steps in establishing a secure take-back system for Washington State.

Presentations at the workshop included an overview of the issues, pharmaceutical manufacturer and retailer interests, take-back models, a progress report on the Washington PH:ARM Pilot Project and a review of Washington State Legislation. See presentations and handouts from the workshop for more information.

PH:ARM Pilot Team: Pharmaceuticals from Households: A Return Mechanism A coalition of government and private partners in Washington State are currently collaborating to design a simple, effective system to take-back pharmaceuticals from residential consumers known as the Unwanted Medicine Return Program. The coalition is the PH:ARM Pilot Team (PDF file, 89KB) (Pharmaceuticals from Households: A Return Mechanism). Two local companies, a local retail pharmacy chain and a clinical managed care organization will serve as locations for collection during the pilot program. This includes approximately 70 locations in the state of Washington. The pilot launched in 2006 and will last until the end of 2008.

Current regulations do not allow a pharmaceuticals take-back program for controlled substances, and the PH:ARM Pilot Team is currently pursuing options to either obtain a waiver for a pilot, or change legislation.

The set up costs for the pilot are financed by public agencies, private and public grant foundations, and participating private companies, with the goal of a long term project being financially supported by the pharmaceutical industry. Costs include purchasing secure containers, advertising, collection and transportation, project management and disposal costs.

During the pilot, volumes will be measured and a sample survey will assess aspects of consumer behavior and knowledge. Environmental data will be monitored at the final disposal site as part of the pilot. See the April 2008 Progress Report (PDFfile, 92KB) and the presentation from the 2008 Medicine Return Workshop Washington PH:ARM Pilot Project Report.

See the primer, revised in December 2007, outlining the barriers and opportunities for the collection and disposal of pharmaceuticals: Disposal of Medications from Residential Consumers (PDF file, 494KB).

The PH:ARM Team includes: Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County, Snohomish County Solid Waste Management Division, Public Health - Seattle & King County, Northwest Product Stewardship Council, Washington Citizens for Resource Conservation, and Washington State Department of Ecology, and advised by the Washington State Board of Pharmacy.

We are especially grateful to our funders: King County WaterWorks, Seattle Public Utilities, King County Voucher Incentive Program, Group Health Community Foundation, Russell Family Foundation, Seattle Biotech Legacy Foundation, Puget Sound Action Team, Snohomish County Solid Waste Management Division under the Coordinated Prevention Grant program, and the Snohomish County Marine Resource Council.

Oregon Pharmaceutical Take Back Stakeholder Group

In October 2006, a group of stakeholders formed a working group to study the disposal of unwanted and unused drugs from households and care facilities in Oregon. Stakeholders included experts ranging from law and drug enforcement; public water agencies; pharmaceutical groups; environmental organizations; medical, health care, recycling and poison center representatives; and city and county governments. The stakeholders researched and analyzed existing and proposed drug take back programs with the intent of recommending a take-back program for Oregon that is effective, fair, and economical, and includes both controlled and routine drugs.

In July 2007, the Oregon Pharmaceutical Take Back Stakeholder Group Final Report (PDF file, 2.03MB) was released, along with the Executive Summary (PDF file, 71KB). The report includes background on drug take back programs, an overview of the regulatory framework, a survey of existing drug take back programs, Oregon program options, subgroup findings, and Oregon program funding options and recommendations.

See a presentation from Janet Gillaspie of the Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies about Building an Oregon Drug Take Back Program. Read the June 25, 2008 Oregonian editorial Pill makers and pill poppers must heed the call of the Oregon ethos for disposing of unused medicine.

Tour of Product Stewardship Programs in British Columbia, Canada

The Northwest Product Stewardship Council hosted a day-long tour on Tuesday, October 2, 2007 to experience British Columbia’s successful product stewardship programs for handling difficult to manage products including pharmaceuticals. The Medications Return Program allows consumers to return (at no charge) unused or expired medications and unwanted pharmaceuticals to over 90 percent of the pharmacies in the province. Links and an informational presentations are available.

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